Downfall
Hitler is considered by, I’d say everyone, to be the most evil man in history. I am not going to go into detail about his crimes because all of you should know the atrocities committed by him leading up to and during the Second World War. His leadership and control of Germany lead to millions of despicable deaths with families torn apart. The devastation he committed still resonates with us over 60 years later and movies will continue to portray the despicable Nazi’s as soulless killers who changed the face of the world. When Downfall (Der Untergang) in 2004, depicting the last moments of Hitler inside the bunker many feared that this monster was being glorified and humanized.
Downfall is based on the book Inside Hitler’s Bunkers. Pieced together from memoirs of survivors , Downfall tells the secrets of Hitler’s final moments leading up to his surrender and the end of the Second World War. As the Allied troops close in on Berlin, claiming back Europe from the Nazi’s; it becomes clear to Hitler and his officers that his chokehold on the world is loosening and he could fight on, give up or end it all in that tiny bunker. This film is a perfect depiction of his Downfall.
Before I get into some politics of the movie, I must mention my uttermost admiration of Bruno Ganz who is vastly becoming one of my favourite German actors. Ganz, who painfully studying and immersed himself in the role, acts impeccably as Adolf Hitler. Never before has a role been so crafted to, as I hate to say it about Hitler, perfection. Ganz takes acting to a whole new level; he breaks so many inhibitions to true be astonishing in this role. Ganz deserves many standing ovations for his portrayal and performance because it is a breath taking one.
Downfall came out to many tongues wagging. After all, in order to see the wrought emotion and moments within the bunker, we must see Hitler at his weakest; as a human. Still sensitive about the war decades on, Downfall the last of cinematic taboo’s, Hitler as a leading role. And the uneasiness felt about humanizing Hitler caused many to worry. Journalists such as David Denby noted that the film depicted the world’s villain as a man who was kind to his cook and secretaries and those close to him and questioned it against the downright evil that Hitler committed; is it a true response to those crimes? Even famed directed Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) mentioned that the shots, acting and direction with Downfall charges the movie with emotion and that caused a glorifying effect.
By no means, do I believe that the directors, actors and writers of Downfall were glorifying Hitler. In fact, I believe that this “humanization” of Hitler has the opposite effect, it makes his atrocities more chilling. Whenever people post a picture of Hitler with a child, or family, or doing something ordinary the world throws its arms out in shock. But Hitler was by no means a demon or monster, he was a human. Showing this man in his most difficult moments does not glorify him. In fact, it shows the true chaos and destruction a man made because he wanted to. But not just that, Downfall reminds us that it was not Hitler alone who caused the Third Reich; he merely shaped the way for an army of racism, xenophobia and evil to take hold of a whole nation. Hitler was the catalyst to it all true and charmed a nation to carry out his will.
Downfall is a though provoking movie that is beyond brilliance. It took an extremely sensitive subject matter and plastered every detail onto the screen for us to scrutinize. Not once those it ask you to feel sorry for Hitler and by no means do we feel empathic towards him. Instead, we are aghast with horror that the man we have demonised for so long was actually a human who committed horrors against his fellow man.
And that is more chilling than anything.
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